Budgets are being slashed but expenses are up at East Cambridgeshire District Council
ECDC - Credit: Archant
EXPENSES claims made by councillors on East Cambridgeshire District Council increased by more than 2.5 per cent last year, despite the council facing unprecedented cuts to its budget.
Last month, the authority announced that it had called in consultants to help it find a further £1million worth of savings by 2015 on top of more than £2million that had already been made since 2010.
Meanwhile, in the last financial year, councillors’ expenses claims rose to £214,379.08, up from £208,886.55 the previous year, an increase of about 2.63 per cent.
The figure does represent a fall from 2009/10 however, when councillors were handed £250,032.35 from the public purse.
Top claimers in the last financial year where former council leader Cllr Peter Moakes, who pocketed £16,493.19, deputy leader Cllr James Palmer, who claimed £8880.06, and former chairman of the council Cllr Tony Parramint, who claimed £8792.90.
Among the opposition Liberal Democrat group, leader Cllr Gareth Wilson claimed the most, taking home £6400.20.
All 39 East Cambridgeshire councillors are given a basic allowance of £4068.96, with money paid for positions of special responsibility, general expenses, travelling, subsistence and IT expenses.
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Soham councillors Colin Fordham and John Palmer were top claimers for IT, collecting 484.44 each while Cllr Tony Parramint claimed the most travel expenses, a total of £1256.90 in the year.
Only one councillor chose to claim money for subsistence during the year, £9.28 was reimbursed to Cllr Chris Morris, who represents the Dullingham villages.
